


Hot Chocolate

by pyromanicofthesea



Series: A Pridecember Winter Wonderland [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28060836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyromanicofthesea/pseuds/pyromanicofthesea
Summary: Who knew a walk in the gardens could be so cold?
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi
Series: A Pridecember Winter Wonderland [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055513
Kudos: 8





	Hot Chocolate

The sky above was white with cloud cover, matching the weather report from that morning. It would surely snow later in the evening, but for the time being, the weather provided a nice if crisp environment for a walk.

They walked with arms linked together, Kaiba showing the Other Yugi around the manor gardens per the Other Yugi's request. Decadent flowers from around the globe were arranged in colorful displays beyond the low hedges that lined the walkway. At the center of the flower garden as a rock garden, accented by bonsai and maple, and groomed with care. The two had walked the gardens once already, but they walked it again at the Other Yugi's insistence. Kaiba didn't mind. The appreciative awe of wonder the Other Yugi gave to the gardens, both the first time and the second, was a look Kaiba wanted to see for the rest of his days.

He wanted that look directed at him.

The Other Yugi bent over one of the hedges to take in the floral fragrance of an arrangement of white lilies. The aroma was soft in and of itself, but intense from the number of flowers that reached up towards his nose. He noticed the weather had grown colder as he straightened his back, so he stood closer to Kaiba to leech his bodyheat as they continued on.

He bumped into Kaiba twice in his attempts to warm himself by proximity before Kaiba sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. He felt plenty warm then, and his face flushed as Kaiba rubbed his arm to further warm him.

"You should have brought a jacket," Kaiba said, hiding his amusement behind a sly look. He was quite comfortable in his overcoat, even as it flowed open, unbuttoned as he preferred his jackets to be. He considered for a moment giving the Other Yugi his jacket, but decided against it fairly quickly. The weather was not dangerously cold. And the Other Yugi brought this upon himself.

"The sun was out when I left," the Other Yugi said. He knew the weather would be cold that day, like most of the winter season was, but he hadn't found it unpleasant until the sharp drop. When the weather turned though, he could feel the cold seep into his bones. "It feels like snow will fall soon."

"Unlikely. The weather report said there would not be snow until later this evening." Kaiba looked up at the sky and frowned. "You make be right. From here, it is about the same distance regardless if we continue forward or go back."

"Let's just go forward then."

Forward turned out to be a mistake, though retracing their steps would not have actually fared any better. Ten more minutes into their walk, the sky above released a flurry of snowflakes thick enough to leave damp spots where they melted on clothing. The Other Yugi and Kaiba looked at each other for only a moment before they both booked it to the mansion, the snow unrelenting in its steady downward flutter.

Both men were freezing when they reached the porch. Kaiba reached for the door as the Other Yugi stomped snow off of his shoes, mindful enough not to track snow inside despite Kaiba's obvious lack of care. He followed close behind Kaiba, who already shed his overcoat.

Kaiba hung the damp coat on the spire of the stair banister before he turned to the Other Yugi.

"Go light the living room fire if it isn't already," he said. "Warm up before you get sick. I'll bring down something dry for you to wear." He didn't wait for a reply, heading up the stairs in more hurry than the Other Yugi had seen before.

The Other Yugi shivered in the foyer, and did as Kaiba told him to, walking to the living room as he rubbed his arms for warmth.

Warmth was exactly what greeted him as he stepped into the lavishly furnished room. The fire was already lit, roaring with heat as the glowing tongues of flame licked into the air. Mokuba sat in one of the chairs facing the fire, buried in blankets, holding a mug of steaming cocoa.

"Hi Yugi, did you and nii-sama get stuck in the snow?" Mokuba asked once he noticed the Other Yugi dripping near the fire.

"Yes, I'm afraid the weather report was not accurate today," the Other Yugi said as he sat in front of the fire. "What are you drinking?"

"Hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

"Something warm would be nice," the Other Yugi said with a nod. "When I have dry clothes, would you show me how to make it?"

"Sure!" Mokuba gave the Other Yugi a smile before he took a sip from his mug. "It's pretty easy. Unless you want to try making it without cocoa packets."

The grin Mokuba wore sparked the competitive streak the Other Yugi was known for. He mirrored Mokuba's grin as he stood, ready for action. "Give me a challenge."

"What challenge is happening?" Kaiba asked as he walked in, giving Mokuba a look. He handed the Other Yugi a set of dry clothes. "Here. These should fit you. The bathroom is two doors down, on the right."

"I'm going to show Yugi how to make real hot chocolate," Mokuba said with pride from inside his blanket cocoon.

"He'll learn quickly. I doubt it will be a challenge at all," Kaiba said as he gave Mokuba the smile reserved for his brother and his brother alone, "considering he has a good teacher."

The Other Yugi wandered the hall looking for the bathroom and fearing he was utterly lost. He had only been inside the manor a handful of times, each mostly being guided by Kaiba or revolving around one room near the entryway doors. This time though, he was on his own, and regretted not having Kaiba show him exactly where the bathroom door was.

Would it be rude to just start opening doors to try and orient himself? Probably. But he had no clue where he was now. He turned too many corners. He shouldn't have turned so many corners. One door. Opening one door couldn't hurt.

The Other Yugi turned the knob of the door in front of him, opening the door to reveal the downstairs office, illuminated only by the reflective snow outside.

"Downstairs office, that means there must be a bathroom near here," he said as he closed the door and continued down the hall. It took two more doors before the Other Yugi located a bathroom to change.

He stripped quickly, peeling the cold collar and cuffs from his neck and wrists before he removed the rest of his damp clothes. The fire had helped to dry them some, but they were still uncomfortably not-dry. He left the clothes in a pile at his feet, replacing them with the clothes Kaiba brought down for him.

The sweater was warm, and definitely too small for Kaiba's tall form, but it threatened to slip from the Other Yugi's shoulder with every movement. It was a royal purple color. The Other Yugi was surprised it lived in Kaiba's closet, but he supposed that it couldn't mean much since Kaiba was lending it to him.

The pants fit him no better. Sweatpants that Kaiba definitely could still fit into fine, considering the Other Yugi had to tie the drawstring as far as it would go and the pants still hung from his hips. The legs of the paints were rolled up to half their regular length. He felt ridiculous in Kaiba's clothes, but the gesture still made him smile. The clothes smelled like Kaiba's laundry detergent. They smelled like him.

The Other Yugi collected his damp clothes and hung them from the rod that held up the shower curtain before he turned off the bathroom light and left. Finding his way back to the living room was far easier than finding the bathroom.

"There you are, I thought you got lost!" Mokuba chirped from his cocoon of blankets, unmoved in every way.

"I did get lost," the Other Yugi replied. Kaiba snorted from the chair he sat in, but he made no other comment.

"Well now you're back, so let's make hot chocolate." Mokuba climbed down from the chair, still wrapped in his blankets, and headed to the kitchen with the Other Yugi behind him.

Hot chocolate was not a difficult thing to make. At least, that's what Mokuba believed until he had to pour out burnt milk from the saucepan for the third time. He reset the stove, poured fresh milk into the saucepan, and gave the Other Yugi a sharp look.

"Don't stir so slowly this time," he said, and the Other Yugi nodded as he took the wooden spoon from Mokuba.

He stirred the milk as it heated in the pan, and continued to stir as Mokuba added small chocolate chips. Little by little, the chocolate melted, turning the white mixture into a creamy brown. It reminded the Other Yugi of coffee with creamer.

"Nii-sama doesn't like his very sweet, so if you want to add sugar to your own cup later, there are cubes by the tea," Mokuba said once all the chocolate chips were melted. He brought over two mugs, and the Other Yugi was careful to pour the hot chocolate without spilling any. A couple of oversized marshmallows were added into both mugs.

He helped Mokuba clean up the kitchen, and then brought the cocoa out to the living room. It felt nice to finally get the drink right. Cooking wasn't something he tried much, satisfied with watching Yugi while he made lunch or dinner for his grandfather, but he felt a sense of accomplishment from not burning the milk a fourth time.

Kaiba gave an appreciative smile as the Other Yugi handed him a mug of hot chocolate. He sipped it, and the smile didn't fade. "It's good," he said honestly, and the praise erupted warmth through the Other Yugi's chest.

He had to agree with Kaiba as he took a sip from his own cup. It was good. The chocolate was a little bitter for his tastes, but the warm drink chased away the remaining cold of the day, spreading warmth and comfort through his entire body. He gave Kaiba a fond look, at peace in the moment.

"Hey! Are you two going to kiss now?" Mokuba asked, popping up from behind Kaiba's chair, shattering the tender moment into pieces.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba exclaimed, cheeks bright red as the Other Yugi just laughed. Mokuba ran off, laughing as his blankets trailed behind him like wound capes. Kaiba sighed and took another sip from his mug.

"I wouldn't mind a kiss," the Other Yugi said. He sat on the floor at the foot of Kaiba's chair, close enough to the fire to feel its warmth but far enough away that the heat was not bothersome. He looked up at Kaiba when he felt Kaiba's foot nudge the side of his arm.

"Don't encourage him," Kaiba said.

"I'm not," the Other Yugi said, hiding his grin behind his mug. "I haven't said anything." Kaiba gave him a look of disbelief, but he said nothing more. The two sat in comfortable silence together, warming beside the fire and enjoying each other's company. The snow continued to fall, showing no signs of lightening up soon.

"Perhaps you should stay until the snow stops," Kaiba said when he noticed the glances the Other Yugi made at the window.

"I do not want to be a bother," the Other Yugi said. Especially since, he did not talk to Yugi about this. Spending the afternoon with Kaiba, yes, but staying the entire day? Possibly the night? The Other Yugi didn't want to push Yugi out of his body for so long. It wasn't his to claim.

"I'm offering," Kaiba said. The look he gave told the Other Yugi that he was insisting more than offering.

"I should ask Yugi," he said, and looked up at Kaiba when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You _both_ are welcome to stay until the snow stops."

"Thank you." The Other Yugi leans into Kaiba's touch, resting his head on the side of Kaiba's leg, near his knee. He couldn't help the way he relaxed as Kaiba carded his fingers through his spiked hair. Kaiba's fingers in his hair and gently scraping his scalp felt so nice, he feared he may fall asleep leaning into Kaiba's touch. He sat up to put his mug somewhere safer, only to be met with challenging eyes.

"So, did you want that kiss now, or later?"

The Other Yugi stood, set his mug on the coffee table, and climbed into Kaiba's lap to claim his lips now.

**Author's Note:**

> Mokuba is best brother. End of story. Also I really want hot chocolate after writing this.
> 
> Semester ends soon. I'm gonna keep being late with these until then, but that's what backdating is for ain't it?
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
